1.)   Someone in the Notre Dame hierarchy needs to have a serious sitdown with the people at NBC. The inordinate amount of commercials must come to an end. Likewise the ridiculous length of the Irish games when televised by the Peacock network. 

If that means that both NBC and the Irish lose out on some revenue, then so be it. Alter or change the contract if need be but some dramatic tweaking should be done as to how the Irish games are broadcasted.

As of now, the countless interruptions and the long, drawn out halftime show are proving to be both intrusive and disruptive. Because of the excessive stoppages, the flow and rhythm of the games are unduly affected.

Please put an end to this stupidity.

Start making the welfare of the players, the fans in attendance and the viewing public your number one consideration. The time has come for ND to start insisting that NBC be more judicious when it comes to their commercial breaks and the hyping of their network shows.

2.)   Speaking of NBC, those in charge really missed the boat with their post-game coverage. Sure, it was nice to hear from standouts Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija but what about talking to some other outgoing seniors who have also distinguished themselves in an Irish uniform.

Couldn't the network have made an effort to seek out at least a few veteran warriors from among  the likes of  Rhema McKnight, Ryan Harris, Dan Santucci, Bob Morton, Derek Landri, Victor Abiamiri, Trevor Laws, Tom Zbikowski, Chinedum Ndukwe or Mike Richardson?

All these guys were worthy of some face time and on this occasion, NBC could have ditched some of their shameless self-promotion to give these deserving players a brief forum to express their feelings and impressions.

By not doing so, the network revealed that it didn't understand the significance and  importance of these gritty athletes. Their contributions were enormous and should have been acknowledged in some way.

If nothing else, what about a pre-taped round table discussion among the departing seniors that could have been shown at halftime. It would have made for much better programming than 90% of the tripe that NBC dispenses at intermission.

The supposed creative geniuses at NBC were clearly missing in action in this instance.

3.) Though his chances to embrace the Heisman are remote and somewhat bleak, it would make things mighty interesting if the "Mighty" Quinn goes out and enjoys an utterly spectacular game against USC.

If that happens, his numbers, which are already better than OSU's Troy Smith, will be demonstratively superior. Another selling point for Quinn. His importance to ND is much more pronounced than is Smith's to the Buckeyes.

4.)   A bit more on Quinn. Given what is happening as of late in the NFL, my prediction is that the golden-armed star will end up doing his thing in Motown, so move over Stevie and Aretha.

The Lions are in desperate need of a glamour name and a stud signalcaller who can make some pulsating music on the field.

Since the Lions show no signs of coming to life and rallying down the stretch, it'll probably come down to them and the Raiders as to who plucks the dashing Quinn in the draft.

5.)   Even though the Domer offense had its moments against Army, the absence of tight end supreme John Carlson was noticeable and apparent.

Without the standout Carlson at his disposal, Quinn was forced to rely almost exclusively on tailback Darius Walker when passing underneath.

Tellingly, Carlson's replacement Marcus Freeman didn't have a catch despite the fact that the Cadets were encouraging the Irish to throw short. That only served to underscore how instrumental Carlson has become in ND's controlled passing game.

Carlson is arguably the most dynamic tight end in college football and removing him from the mix is a significant loss. The question is can the Domers beat the Trojans with such a weapon on the sidelines?

6.)   It's a fact that hasn't received much attention but Charlie Weis has yet to drop a regular season contest on the road, a streak that now stands at an impressive nine if you include ND's trip to Baltimore to face the Naval Academy.

Getting your team to win consistently as a visitor is no easy feat and doing so speaks well of Weis and his coaching staff. That being said, Weis' toughest road challenge to date lies dead ahead in Los Angeles.

7.)   It's anyone's guess as to who will emerge as ND's all-time leading receiver now that both Samardzija and McKnight have passed Irish great of yesteryear, Tom Gatewood.

With a brace of games left, the gifted Samardzija (165) holds a slight advantage over the remarkably steady McKnight (161).

Most likely, it will come down to which of these special wideouts draws the most defensive attention, thereby allowing the other to benefit from more single coverage.

Quinn has become a master at finding the open receiver so whoever gets more space to roam figures to latch onto a few more passes. 

In a razor-close race, this reporter believes that the dangerous Samardzija will nip his stellar teammate at the wire to become the best of the best.

8.)   Though McKnight and the tenacious Derek Landri always play with passion and verve, look for them to even more reved- up versus SC.

Both are transplanted Californians and would like nothing better than to distinguish themselves at the Coliseum in their final shot at the Trojans.

9.)  Another note about Landri. He's earned the distinction of being the best blocking nose tackle in football.

 What? Huh? Defensive lineman don't block, do they?

Well, Landri does, having now blunted four kicks in '06. In a season in which ND players are racking up stunning stats by the score, Landri's block total is one of the more noteworthy.

10.)   I've got a hunch that Darius Walker just might prove to be the key to the Domers' chances on Saturday. 

When Walker finds his groove, the Irish can control the clock and dictate pace. Whenever Walker exceeds or approaches the 100-yard mark, ND is very tough to beat.

Remember that with so much riding on the crucial Stanford tilt last year, it was Walker who spearheaded that dramatic victory with some gutsy running as the game wound down.

Don't be surprised if the steady junior back repeats the trick versus the Trojans.

11.)   It's almost imperative that the Irish secondary come up with at least a couple of picks of SC quarterback John David Booty if they're to keep the Trojan offense in check.

With only seven interceptions from the DB's thus far, that might be asking a lot but it's hard to envision the Domers winning if they fail to force, at minimum, a couple of turnovers. A couple of steals from the secondary would prove to be huge.

12.)   And if I had to bet on whom might get a theft of two, I'd put my money on the playmaking Zbikowski who has shown a definite nose for the football throughout his career.

As hard as it is to fathom, "Zibby" has yet to pilfer a pass in '06 so he's long overdue. He's primed to bust out.

Notre Dame fans have come to expect the breathtaking and the dramatic from the senior safety. Saturday night would be a most propitious time for Zbibowski to add to his legend.

13.)  Given what has happened over the last 40-years plus at the Coliseum, it is any wonder that the spectre of a phantom or bogus call haunts the thoughts of any knowledgeable Irish fan?

14.)   Not to toot my own horn but ND is exactly where I'd figured they would be at this juncture with a 10 and 1 mark.

With a monster challenge versus Michigan and trap games against Penn State, MSU, Purdue, UCLA and Navy, it seemed unreasonable to expect the Irish to come through that gauntlet unscathed. 

I assumed they'd get nicked somewhere along the way and it came as no surprise when they did.

But despite not having gone unbeaten, this rates as a memorable season. Whether it will rank as a great one is yet to be determined.

15.)   Finally, though most projections have the Irish slotted to go to the Sugar Bowl, if a few scenarios play out, ND could conceivably find itself in Pasadena on New Year's Day.